Farm-gate.



H. KIRCH.

FARM GATE.-

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2. 1914.

1, 146,71 6. Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET W/f/VESSES wuul.

cohwmm PLANOGRAPH COHWASHINGTON. n. c,

H. KIRCH.

FARM GATE.

APPLICA'TlON FILED DEC.2. 1914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR 729727 jzrcb By W ArromvErs and in which.-

HENRY KIRCI'I, OF SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA...

FARM-GATE.

Application filed December 2, 1914.

T aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that. I, HENRY KInoH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Santa Rosa, in the county of Sonomo and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Farm-Gate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to fences and has particular reference to gates designed for operation by means ofa passing vehicle.

Among the objectsof the invention is to improve the operating devices for gates of this character by the provision of a cam mounted upon and rotatable around the vertical axis and constituting an actuator acting first to lift the gate and then to cause the gate to swing open or shut by gravitating down the incline of the cam.

Another object of thev invention is to cause the gate to tilt with its top toward the direction in which it is to bemoved automatically by gravity.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described andclaimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding 'partsin all the views,

Figure 1 's. a

diagrammatic view in plan of my improvedgate mechanism, the gate being in its normally closed position; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation in section on the line 2-- 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation as viewed from the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4: is a horizontal sectional detail on the line H ofFig. 3; Fig. ,5 is an elevation of one of the trip members as seen from the line 5-5 of. F ig. 2; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the gate in its normal position, this view corresponding to the gateportionof' Fig. 1 but on a larger scale; Fig. .7 is a side elevation of the gate as viewed from the" line 77 of Fig. 11; Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 but indicating the. gate in its elevated position ready to swing open; Fig. 91s a view similarto Fig. 7 but'corresponding in the position of the gate to Fig. 8; and Figs. 10 and ll are diagrams showing the relative positions of the actuator and corresponding The severalparts of the device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be to Figs. 6 and 8.

varied to a considerable extent without de- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Serial No. 875,112.

parting from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

eferring more particularly to the drawlugs for a description of the mechanism, I show at 15 a gate of any suitable construction adapted to swing open or shut with relation to a main gate post 16. The outer end of the gate is adapted to cooperate with a post 17 which has a catch 18 normally holdmg the gate closed, and when it swings open the gate is adapted to cooperate in a similar manner with a post 19 having a catch 20. A latch 21 is pivoted to the gate for cooperation with'either of said catches.

To the face of the post 16 is secured a base bracket or support 22 near the ground and abracket 23 is supported above it near the top of the post. A rod 24 is stepped at its lower end in the base 22 and is journaled in vertical alinement'with the bearing in the base in the bracket 23. Just above the bracket the rod is bent into a crank 25 upon which is loosely journaled a clevis 26. The clevis is pivoted on a substantially horizontal pivot 27 to the upper portion of the gate.

The parallel side members of the clevis embrace the side faces of the gate structure whereby the clevis is limited in its movement around the aXis of a pivot 27 The clevis, therefore, constitutes a substantially rigid connector between the gate and the crank 25 V with respect to lateral movements of the gate.

At 28 I show" what I term an actuator, the same comprising a rotary cam member 29 having a crest 30 and two cam faces 31 zontal pivot 36 cooperating with the upper edge orrim of the cam member 29. In its normal position the gate is supported with the roller 35 on the lower portion of the cam or remote from the crest 30. The gate is connected more directly with the rod 24.- by means'of a yoke bracket 87 secured to the gate and journaled on the rod and including a yoke 37 in which is journaled aroller 38 I rigidly to one i and in the same direction with respect to the actuator. When the wheel gate.

axial bearing supports 41 and 42, the trip member tance from the gate so as to insure thereto.

terweight and 'said counterweight shank. that the trip members are substantially alike and are connected similarly tothe actuator ychain wheel 33 by chains,

cooperating with a bail 39 journaled upon the rod 24 whereby the friction which might result between the bracket 37 and the rod during the vertical movements of the'gate is relieved. It will be understood, therefore, thatthe connection between the rod 24 and the bracket 37 will be loose enough-for all of the movements of the gate with respect to the rod.

At 40 I show trip members, shown best in Fig. 5, each of which is in the form ofa double crank journaled at its ends in cothe axis of extending transversely of desired disperfect fr'eedon'i of movement of the gate without interferencevof the vehicle or team hitched The looped portion of the trip theroadway and located at any .memberis maintained normally in a vertical position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to be engaged by the wheel of a'vehicle approaching the gate and whereby the trip member isdesigned to be depressed toward the gate. A counterweight 43 is secured of the spindles of the trip member and extends normally I downwardly or at 180 degrees from the loop of the member. A pulley 44 is journaled loosely upon the spindle adjacent the shank of the counhas a pair of lugs 45 spaced fromeach other at substantially 90 degrees and adapted to cooperate in alternation with Itwill be noted other suitable connections shown at 46. i The connections 46 extend from the pulleys. 44 to the chain wheel 33 in such a manner that they will always be moved simultaneously W of the vehicle impinges one of the trip members 40 approaching the gate, the member engaged will be depressed t the level of the roadway toward the gate and the counterweight 43 pertaining thereto will be swung upwardly and in a, direction away from the gate, causing, through one of the lugs 45. in engagement therewith, the rotation of the adjacent pulley 44 causing the connection 46 leading from the lower edge of the pulley 44 to pull. onthe chain wheel 33 causing the actuator to rotate through an angle of substantially 90 degrees and thereby causing the crest 30 of the cam to elevate the gate and-pass beneath the roller 38 or as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the latter figure indicating the relative positions of the cam and the roller just after the crest has passed beneath theroller and having elevated the This rotation of the actuator will cause simultaneously a corresponding rotation of the'rod 24 and crank 25, the change opened in again lifted by rods, "cables, or.

and pivoted on a substantially of position of the crank likewise being indicated in the diagrams of Figs. 10 and 11. Simultaneously, therefore, with the elevation of the gate by the action of the cam, the top of the gate will be thrown over or in clined by virtue of the crank 25 toward the direction in which thegate is to be moved toward the post 19.

positive operation or one of the trip mem-s' 'bersg' The trip members, however, being mounted for limited free movement with respect to the pulleys 44 will both gravitate to and thereby swing normalposition as soon, as'released by the vehicle wheels. After the gate has been the manner stated and the vehicle passes through it and engages the opposite trip member causing it to be swung away from the gate,

actuator to be rotated in direction from that above described with the result'that'the gate will be advantageous in insuring the latching of the gate closed andpromptly starting the gate toward its Having thus open-position.

the counterweight shank will g engage and operate the opposite lug 45' and thereby cause the i the opposite the crest of the cam and I caused to be unlatched from the post 19 and r the free swinging movementofthe gate in either direction, and this efi'ect is especially described my invention, I

claimas new and desire to secure by Letters" 4 Patent a 1. In a farm gate, the combination of a gate proper, a supporting rod, vertically alined brackets supporting said rod, said a.

rod having a crank at its upper end, a clevis pivotally connected at oneend to said crank 7 horizontal pivot at its other" end tothe gate, and means to rotate the rod and crank so as-to cause the.

crank toswing past the plane of the gate whereby the gate is tilted at its top.

2. In'adevice of the characterset forth, the. combination of a main support, a pair of brackets secured thereto, a rod journaled vertically in said brackets, a cam member surrounding and secured tothe rod adjacent the lower bracket, the lower. portion of the a memberpivoted on a horizontal pivot to of the gate pivotally to thev upper end 0 gatebeing mounted ,uponsaid camm ember,

said rod, and means to rotate the cam member around the axis of the rod to cause the gate to be lifted and allowed to swing with said pivot member around the axis of said rod.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a main support, a pair of bearings secured thereto, a vertical rod journaled in said bearings, a double-faced cam member secured to said rod, one portion of the gate being supported upon the upper rim of said cam member at a uniform distance from the axis of the rod, a member pivoted on a horizontal pivot to another portion of the gate and hinged on a vertical pivot to a remote portion of said rod, and means for rotating the cam member by a vehicle approaching and leaving the gate for the purpose of lifting the gate, allowing it to swing both open and closed insuccession automatically, one face of the cam being active to lift the gate and the other face serving to cause the gate to swing.

4-. The combination with a gate and supporting means therefor, of operating devices including a trip member pivoted on a horizontal axis transverse to the roadway, said supporting devices including an actu- I gate through one cam face, the gate subse f quently gravitating down theother face, a pulley journaled loosely upon the axis of the trip member, connections between the trip member and the pulley whereby the pullev is caused to be rotated at times from the trip member, and connections and the actuator, substantially as set forth.

5. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a gate, a vertical pivot rod, connections between the gate and said rod, and means to cause the gate to swing around the axis of the rod, certain of said connections between the gate and the rod including a bracket connected to the gate and slidable along said rod, said bracket including a yoke, an antifriction roller and a bail journaled on said rod and cooperating with said roller, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY KIRCH, Witnesses:

D. R. GALE, JANET STOKES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

between the pulley 

